Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to dispensers, and more particularly to a paste dispenser having a replacable disposable cartridge with built-in valve assembly and movable end wall to urge the contents toward the valve.
Description of the Prior Art
Varieties of toothpaste dispensers have been conceived. Many of them employ some sort of means for mounting a tube of toothpaste, and using a roller or slider to squeeze paste from the uncapped end of the tube. Others involve simply valves for toothpaste tubes. Also there are dentifrice dispensers which have rigid walls, and valves at or near the lower end of the dispenser from which the dentifrice can be taken. Some U.S. patents disclosing some of the aforementioned types of dispensers for dentifrice or other materials were noted in the course of searches for the present invention and are as follows:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 1,209,805 Boe Dec. 26, 1916 1,335,700 Price Mar. 30, 1920 2,141,572 Tucker Dec. 27, 1938 2,596,592 Parker May 13, 1952 2,637,468 Wekerle May 5, 1953 2,659,517 Reinhardt, Jr. Nov. 17, 1953 3,684,183 Werner July 20, 1954 2,721,004 Schultz Oct. 18, 1955 3,087,653 Nolin Apr. 30, 1963 3,132,772 Bristow May 12, 1964 3,580,429 Trindle May 25, 1971 3,640,431 Plumer Feb. 8, 1972 Re. 28120 Plumer Aug. 20, 1974 ______________________________________
Referring briefly to these patents, the Reinhardt, Jr. Nolin and Werner patents disclosed spring-biased cartridges of paste material, the Werner patent being specifically for a dentifrice. Bristow also shows a dentifrice dispenser having an axially movable plunger in it and a bracket-mounted valve covering the dispenser outlet. Wekerle also discloses a toothpaste dispenser which is a rigid-walled permanently installed unit with a manually operable valve closing the bottom located outlet.
Trindle shows a paste dispenser having interchangeable cartridges in a bag form. The valve is mounted on the permanent part of the dispenser itself. The Boe and Price patents disclose tape reel indicating means for contents of a dispensing container. The remaining patents in the above list are of interest for their disclosure of cartridge or tube structures having integral valves and which are not dependent on a wall bracket for the valve, the Tucker, Parker and Schultz patents disclosing hand-squeezable tubes with valves in or at the caps, and the Plumer patents showing caulking cartridges with valves therein to prevent drooling of the caulking compound after release of force from the plunger.
There has remained a need for a convenient, sanitary and reliable dispenser for toothpaste. The present invention is directed toward meeting that need.